Apple sets its sights on video consoles Established console manufacturers might be quaking in their virtual boots, 'cause Apple has filed documents with the US Patent and Trademark Office that suggest it may be devloping a video games console. Although Apple’s application is very vague, it makes specific reference to various forms of handheld unit, including ones …
Paul,
You must admit that the management style of the company has substantially changed during the past decade or so, and that the current set of products and technologies (not to mention marketing) offered by Apple during the last few years have actually improved its standing in the industry.
For this alone I would consider a venture into a new (to them) market a viable proposition.
-dZ.
The Pippin was a Bandai product that Apple "Sans Steve" helped with. And pretty much anything from the No Steve years was pathetic.
Apple without Steve is about as useful as Doc Martins on a Duck.
I like Apple, but the reason I'm not 100% Apple is it remains to be seen of the company goes back to its useless mid 90's state without his Egoness at the Helm.
Speaking as a game dev...
I'd really rather they didn't.
There's enough proprietary crap around without us having to make games for something else, or water down the margins per platform with another bandwagon.
Apple like to control. I like to see high standards, but not pious wankership.
Honestly, I roll my eyes when people hail the forthcoming iPhone SDK. Do they really think they're going to allow every man and his dog write a chat or voip app?
LOL. I'll take a free market thank you.
If it's anything like the iPhone's engine... I saw someone playing Super Mario Bros. on it with a pathetic framerate. Try to go right, half a second later it goes right...
The PSP couldn't even make a significant dent in the DS' and Gameboy's sales, what makes Apple think that whatever they can come out with will?
Lets hope it is just an application which they'll keep on their own products.
You had me worried with the console title, I imagined them taking on Nintendo & MS with a console which would force people into only using a console based iTunes rip off to download only Apple games and which forced you to buy your electricity from 1 provider just so your home could run the bloody thing...
It'll be called something like the "iGame", cost about double what a PSP costs without improving on the functionality, you'll only be able to buy games that Apple develop themselves, and millions of people suffering from shiny syndrome will buy one regardless?
Re:No Thanks
As AC says, there are already plenty of platforms that games are written for (many titles released on multiple platforms) and who really needs another one? Likelihood is that any new game console (or handheld) maker would struggle to get into the market now.
Then again, people said the same thing about the Xbox when that was first announced, right up until they realised it was actually becoming quite successful.
maybe if they did a convergence device?
* music / video server
* Apple TV
* Game player
* wi-fi stuff
* a number of gaming / productivity HID interface devices?
* Blu-ray player
* HDD/SSD
....OSX media centre?
or could just buy PS3? which would be half the price of a comaprable Apple product?
But is the Xbox succesful? Is it really? As in profitable.
The Wii is riding high and *profitably* doing its own thing, having carved out new markets. Reliable. Family friendly. Simple. Safe. You know where you stand. But kinda limited in the scope of their offering in the wider scheme of things
Nintendo = Subway?
The "XBox adventure" hasn't yet come anywhere close to making a profit for MS but it would seem that it has already shot it's load (chronic customer return rate, the Elite 'ultimate' version as an attempt to compete with the PS3 but offering no advantages, no HD-DVD future to milk). Just as the PS3 is getting into it's stride, growing at a healthy rate and with a Blu-Ray wind behind it. MS's XBox+"Live"+Zune offering is an amorphous bundle that sort-of-does-but-sort-of-doesn't support the now obsolete HD-DVD and touches on and overlaps with all sorts of software offerings ("Windows Live Hotmail", "Live office", "Live Search"). MS offer many tenuously related things at OK prices, but will always be unloveable and have problems with brand image for those very reasons.
MS = Tesco?
Love it or loath it, Sony's simple PS3+BluRay+PSP combo is a compelling and attractive straight-up consumer electronics proposition for many. Often wrapped in agreeable product design.
Sony = John Lewis?
Coming back to Apple... maybe they will add games to the top level iPod & iPhone's list of functions, but meh. The iPod and iPhone are a sliver of the PMP and phone markets. Am I right in saying that SonyEricsson have sold more Walkman branded phones that Apple have sold iPods and iPhones combined? Apple are doing their thing, and it's their job to milk the high end shiny demographic.
Apple = A poor man's B&O?
Shame about the continual insistence on proprietary locked down nonsense from all of these companies. But then that's what some folk (think they) want. And their history of control freakery is what, in-part, has made them iconic. Dell, Toshiba, JVC don't come close in terms of brand caché, do they?
Disclaimer: I don't own any products from any of the above tech companies (Windows grudgingly excepted), so save the fanboy comebacks.
@fanboi w
is that all u can say about the sony offerings?
Love it or loath it, Sony's simple PS3+BluRay+PSP combo is a compelling and attractive straight-up consumer electronics proposition for many. Often wrapped in agreeable product design.
Sony = John Lewis?
blu ray = why the games don't require it; I will however be purchasing it primarily as a blu ray player, now my HD-DVD is soon to be obsolete
games are expensive; for the same technology as the 360, in some cases the games I have seen on the 360 and ps3 are smoother on the 360
sony = late why oh why oh why does nothing ever come out on time over here? and why does that time lapse / atlantic divide cost us financially too?
sony media centre = still not a patch on xbmc
I don't love xbox, in fact microsoft as a whole; but man am I addicted to those achievement points
and angelic BG cos of his millions of dollars he gives to those who need it more infinately than he you or I; but please if you do have too much please send some my way; (name and address supplied)
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